Bullish Move: CHARLES JOHNSON Shows Confidence, Acquires $1.07M In Franklin Resources Stock

CHARLES JOHNSON, 10% Owner at Franklin Resources (NYSE:BEN), reported an insider buy on November 19, according to a new SEC filing.

What Happened: JOHNSON's recent move, as outlined in a Form 4 filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday, involves purchasing 50,000 shares of Franklin Resources. The total transaction value is $1,074,475.

In the Thursday's morning session, Franklin Resources's shares are currently trading at $21.76, experiencing a up of 1.49%.

All You Need to Know About Franklin Resources

Franklin Resources provides investment services for individual and institutional investors. At the end of July 2025, Franklin had $1.617 trillion in managed assets, composed primarily of equity (41%), fixed-income (27%), multi-asset/balanced (11%) funds, alternatives (16%) and money market funds (5%). Distribution tends to be weighted between retail investors (56% of AUM) and institutional accounts (41%), with high-net-worth clients accounting for the remainder. Franklin is one of the more global of the US-based asset managers we cover, with 31% of its assets under management invested in global/international strategies and just as much sourced from clients domiciled outside the United States.

Franklin Resources: Delving into Financials

Revenue Growth: Franklin Resources's remarkable performance in 3 months is evident. As of 30 September, 2025, the company achieved an impressive revenue growth rate of 5.99%. This signifies a substantial increase in the company's top-line earnings. As compared to its peers, the revenue growth lags behind its industry peers. The company achieved a growth rate lower than the average among peers in Financials sector.

Interpreting Earnings Metrics:

• Gross Margin: Achieving a high gross margin of 81.81%, the company performs well in terms of cost management and profitability within its sector.

• Earnings per Share (EPS): With an EPS below industry norms, Franklin Resources exhibits below-average bottom-line performance with a current EPS of 0.21.

Debt Management: Franklin Resources's debt-to-equity ratio is below the industry average at 1.1, reflecting a lower dependency on debt financing and a more conservative financial approach.

Analyzing Market Valuation:

• Price to Earnings (P/E) Ratio: Franklin Resources's P/E ratio of 23.56 is below the industry average, suggesting the stock may be undervalued.

• Price to Sales (P/S) Ratio: The P/S ratio of 1.26 is lower than the industry average, implying a discounted valuation for Franklin Resources's stock in relation to sales performance.

• EV/EBITDA Analysis (Enterprise Value to its Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation & Amortization): With a lower-than-industry-average EV/EBITDA ratio of 14.78, Franklin Resources presents a potential value opportunity, as investors are paying less for each unit of EBITDA.

Market Capitalization: Indicating a reduced size compared to industry averages, the company's market capitalization poses unique challenges.

Now trade stocks online commission free with Charles Schwab, a trusted and complete investment firm.

Illuminating the Importance of Insider Transactions

Insider transactions, although significant, should be considered within the larger context of market analysis and trends.

Within the legal framework, an "insider" is defined as any officer, director, or beneficial owner holding more than ten percent of a company's equity securities as per Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. This includes executives in the c-suite and major hedge funds. These insiders are mandated to disclose their transactions through a Form 4 filing, to be submitted within two business days of the transaction.

The initiation of a new purchase by a company insider serves as a strong indication that they expect the stock to rise.

However, insider sells may not always signal a bearish view and can be influenced by various factors.

Understanding Crucial Transaction Codes

Navigating through the landscape of transactions, investors often prioritize those unfolding in the open market, precisely detailed in Table I of the Form 4 filing. A P in Box 3 denotes a purchase, while S signifies a sale. Transaction code C signals the conversion of an option, and transaction code A denotes a grant, award, or other acquisition of securities from the company.

Check Out The Full List Of Franklin Resources's Insider Trades.

Insider Buying Alert: Profit from C-Suite Moves

Benzinga Edge reveals every insider trade in real-time. Don't miss the next big stock move driven by insider confidence. Unlock this ultimate sentiment indicator now. Click here for access.

This article was generated by Benzinga's automated content engine and reviewed by an editor.